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There are signs that the Facebook chief is planning a trip to China soon, though whether he will be going for business or pleasure -- or both -- is unclear.

Zuckerberg recently asked on Facebook Questions, "What are the best mandarin [sic]-speaking cities to visit in China?" He also followed the question asked by another user, "What are the must see/things to do in Shanghai and Beijing?"

Facebook users, as well as a couple of Facebook employees, have been quick to provide answers to Zuckerberg's query. They suggested everything from China's major metropolises Beijing and Shanghai to more rural, scenic destinations like Lijiang and Huangshan.

Some asked for clarification to the question. Mandarin is the official language of China, so it's a little like asking what is the best English-speaking city to visit in the U.S., though there are some notable exceptions, like the predominantly Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong. As well, there are many variants of Mandarin across China. But phrased the way it is, Zuckerberg's question seems to betray a lack of nuance in his understanding of the country.

Regardless of how well he understands China now, it will be important for the Facebook CEO to become very familiar with the country in the future. The country is one of the last remaining holdouts in Facebook's quest for world domination; there are only a handful of countries in which Facebook is not the most-used social network (Japan, Russia and South Korea are some others).

In his own words, "China is extremely complex," said Zuckerberg at a startup event last month. Zuckerberg said it was important for Facebook to succeed in China and has been mulling over the right strategy. Zuckerberg has also been preparing in other ways. He reportedly attends daily Mandarin language lessons and is spending time learning about the country's culture.

ANew Yorker profile of Zuckerberg in September suggests that the Facebook CEO and his Chinese-American girlfriend Priscilla Chan are planning a personal two-week trip to China in December. Zuckerberg's questions on Facebook about China seem to confirm this. Even if the two are planning a personal trip, though, it's hard to imagine Zuckerberg not taking the opportunity to size up China from a strategic point of view.

When reached by email, a Facebook spokesperson declined to discuss whether Zuckerberg would be traveling to China in the near future.